Letter
by Erendhyl
Summary: Sakura explores the Uchiha Compound one day three years after Sasuke left. In one of the rooms she finds a letter. It's addressed to her. From Sasuke. SasuSaku
1. Chapter 1

Letter

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, because if I did, this story would be making an appearance very soon.**

Sakura moved through the dusty corridors of the Uchiha Compound, gazing in wonder at Sasuke's childhood home. This place had been deserted nine years ago at the time of the Uchiha Clan Massacre; the only things remaining were the ghosts of memories not hers. Still she had come here, in hope that she might find something, anything, amid the faded memories to help her understand Sasuke. Not why he had left her so cruelly on that bench three and a half years ago, she had long since despaired of ever having an answer to, and merely acknowledged it as one of the mysteries Sasuke kept in abundance about himself in an effort to prevent anyone from becoming close to him, but just to begin to understand him. Sakura knew what happened to his clan, and on the night that he left her she'd said that she understood what he meant by loneliness. But, as she lay in bed late at night, any hope of sleep driven from her by her bittersweet memories of Sasuke and the time they had shared together as Team Seven, she'd come to realize something. Sakura had realized that she had never, and could never truly understand what Sasuke had meant by loneliness. Even when she lost him, it had been only a dull ache compared to the blinding pain he had experienced at the tender age of seven, when his family was torn from him by the merciless hands of death. So Sakura had come here, to understand the burden thrust upon Sasuke when he became the avenger of the Uchiha clan.

Her hand slid over the surface of a table, coming away with a thick layer of dust coating it. She gazed around the room she found herself in, as the ghosts of incidents left undiminished by years washed over her, giving her new information. Pictures flashed before her eyes as her ears heard the voices of days long past. After the sudden flare of memories, Sakura was left breathing deeply, her hands breaking out in a cold sweat. This had been the kitchen; she had known that as soon as she had entered, but she had not known that this was the last place Sasuke had seen his parents alive. Nor had she known that his last conversation with his father had been of Itachi, and the disturbing changes in his brother's behavior. Would every room be like this, yielding its secrets so easily to her, yet at the same time filling her with fear and dread? She wasn't sure if she could bear that. Yet, even as the memories left her filled with fear and pain, she knew that she would keep going, she would see all she could, because each memory was a scrap of knowledge to add to her meager pile of information about Sasuke. She had to go on, if only to understand what Sasuke must feel each and every time he thought of this place.

Filled with that resolve, to see it all no matter the cost to herself, Sakura stepped outside onto the roofed pathway between the different parts of the mansion. Despite her resolve though, it would not take a keen eye to notice that her steps were slower, as though she were afraid to awaken any more ghosts of the past.

Here new memories came to her. Sasuke and Itachi sat together, discussing their father's reaction to Sasuke's first report card from the academy. Even this early, a full two and a half years before the fateful day of the massacre, Sasuke already harbored small feelings of annoyance toward Itachi, though it was nothing compared to the blinding rage that filled him now at the mere mention of his brother's name. Then the scene before her changed, to when she did not know. She saw as the younger Sasuke watched his brother and father casually walking toward each other, a firm feeling of fear and dread blooming in the heart of the youngest Uchiha. Though they passed each other without incident, it did nothing to alleviate Sasuke's fears for his sibling's relationship with their father. However such doubts were soon thrust to the back of his mind as his father offered to teach him a new jutsu. With a new spring in his step, Sasuke accompanied his father to the lake.

Sakura panted as though she had run a great distance, eyes wide. Though these particular memories had held little to feed the flame of fear within her, it was still very unnerving to watch these unfamiliar memories play themselves out in front of her like a film. **(A/N: Or like a certain TV series that we are all obsessed with and think is the greatest thing ever. I couldn't resist saying that.)**

She timidly slid open the door to the room in front of her, trying to mentally prepare herself for what she would see.

She saw nothing. No tormented visions, no ghosts of the past, nothing. It was just a room. If anything, being here made her feel... _happy_. What was going on?

Sakura walked around the room, feeling an overwhelming sense of comfort from being here. Despite her knowledge that murder had been committed in this house, despite knowing that a young boy had been tortured here, despite everything that she had seen today, she felt that here she was safe. The oddest thing was, she hadn't felt that she was truly safe anywhere since Sasuke had left. That was a feeling purely reserved for when she was with him. Could that mean…?

Sakura walked over to a chest in the corner and carefully opened it, feeling with pleasure the smoothness of the wood. When she opened it, the chest was filled with small toys, exactly the kind that a child of about seven years of age would have… Sakura smiled tenderly down at them. So this was Sasuke's old room, then.

She smiled sadly to herself at the thought. There had been a time when the idea of being in Sasuke's bedroom would have sent her into a fit squealing and fainting. But time and loss had changed her, so that now she felt only small comfort at being among the childhood possessions of her beloved.

Sakura sat down on the bed, tracing small patterns in the folds of the blanket as silent tears fell down her face. They felt different than others she had shed, though. While those had been filled with anguish at Sasuke's loss, these were softer, like those cried at the memory of a past loss. It seemed that she was finally beginning to move on. She could never forget Sasuke, not after what he had meant to her, but she could stop living in the past and focus on the here and now, and on returning him to Konoha.

A small smile appeared on her face at the thought of being able to move on. Many times she had been told to do so, by her parents and Tsunade, but she had never been able to. _Maybe the hole Sasuke left in my heart is finally starting to heal,_ Sakura mused as she continued to trace the folds of the blanket. She suddenly noticed something, and drew her hand back in shock.

Timidly, Sakura reached down to feel the spot where her fingers had been. Surely enough, it was still there. Under the sheets was a flat, rectangular object. Excitedly, Sakura pushed the blankets back until the spot was bare, exposing a folded up piece of paper. She eagerly picked it up. The handwriting on the front was Sasuke's!

Her heart singing with pleasure at the thought of finding some final writing of Sasuke's, some last words from her departed love, Sakura unfolded the paper. What was written on it almost made her heart stop. It was a letter addressed to her.

_Sakura,_

_If you are reading this, it means that you are in my old home, the Uchiha Clan Mansion. It also means that I have left the village._

Sakura choked back tears at this last sentence. So Sasuke had written this for her, knowing that he would leave?

_First of all, there is something I would like to say about that. And that is that I am sorry, for the pain you and Naruto are probably going through. Don't you understand, I had to do it! Orochimaru wouldn't have let me stay; he or Itachi would have hurt you two in an attempt to get to me! Leaving now was the only way to keep you safe. I am sorry if I had to hurt you to do so._

_Oh Sasuke, you're so naïve, _Sakura thought, shaking her head sadly. _Don't you know that Naruto and I would rather have been killed than to have lost you? You mean that much to us Sasuke; no physical pain can compare to what I've had to go through these past three and a half years._ Despite this, Sakura's heart sang with joy at the thought that Sasuke had not wanted to leave them. Her worst fear all this time had been that he was serious, and she and Naruto and team seven really meant absolutely nothing to him. It helped more than he would ever know to be told that that was not the case.

_The next thing I would like to give you, Sakura, is reassurance. You may think that Orochimaru will kill me and take my body. I swear, I will never let that happen. I'll kill him if he tries. Revenge is for me and me alone, not that Snake using my body. I swear, Sakura, I won't die._

_There is one final thing I would like to tell you, before I have to say goodbye. And that is that I am not leaving forever. I will come back one day, after I have killed Itachi and probably Orochimaru as well. Then you and Naruto will no longer be in danger because of me._

_I have one request of you. Wait for me. There is one very important thing that I want to tell you, that I was never able to say before I left. I did not have the right to say it before, because to do so would only put you in danger. I could not bear the thought of you being hurt because of me. But, if I ever return, it will mean that there is no longer a danger in you knowing this, so I can say it now, and hope that you will take it to heart and never forget me._

_Haruno Sakura, I love you._

**A/N: This story was written at the request of sadbird, who asked me to write a SasukeXSakura story where they get together and have a happy ending. There will be a second chapter where Sasuke comes back. Tell me what you thought of my first attempt at a happy SasukeXSakura ending!**


	2. Return

Chapter Two: Return

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto, and after you all see my sad attempt at a love scene I think we'll all be grateful that I don't.**

Haruno Sakura perched on the edge of her bed, smiling contentedly. She did that a lot recently. Ever since she had gone to the Uchiha compound last month, she had started smiling again, and no longer cried herself to sleep at night. No one knew why, all they knew was that whatever she had seen there had changed Sakura for the better. She was back to being the happy kunoichi she had been before Sasuke's defection to Otogakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Sound.

Sakura glanced once again at the letter on her bedside table. Even the mere sight of it was enough to make her smile anew. Sasuke loved her. That thought had been on her mind constantly for over a month now, and still she never tired of it. She doubted that she ever would. Uchiha Sasuke loved her…

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

The loud beeping of her alarm clock caused Sakura to jump in surprise. Quickly she shut the annoying thing up before exiting her room. It was time for training. Even though Team Kakashi still was nonexistent (Kakashi was still subbing for Kurenai as head of Team Kurenai), and Team Yamato had been disbanded with the demolition of the eight man squad (Yamato had to return to regular ANBU duties), Naruto, Sakura, and Sai (who had remained a part of the Team Seven family despite being sent back to Root after the break up of the eight man squad) still agreed to train together on certain days, and today was one of them. Sakura had only been sitting here now because she had woken up early this morning and had had some spare time before she had to head to the training ground.

The pink haired kunoichi stood up and walked out of her bedroom, pausing only slightly for one last glance at the letter. She smiled at it, silently thanking it for bringing happiness back into her life.

Sakura arrived at the training ground before her teammates (she still thought of Sai as her teammate), though the clearing was by no means empty. Her old sensei, Kakashi, stood there, perverted novel in hand, apparently waiting for someone. Sakura did a double take as the thought crossed her mind. _Kakashi_ was _waiting_ for someone?! Normally he was the one being waited for, as she and her teammates had learned the hard way in the early days of Team Seven.

_"Kakashi-sensei?!"_ she asked, incredulous. He turned up from his novel, his single eye displaying traces of a grin.

"Hello, Sakura. I've been waiting for you for quite some time." Sakura anime sweat dropped. _Kakashi_, the world champion of being late and having a stupid excuse for it, was chastising _her_ for tardiness?! What was the world coming to?! "Godaime wanted to see you in her office. She said that it was urgent." Without even giving Sakura time to question what Tsunade wanted to see her about, Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke to wherever Kakashi goes when he isn't reading Icha Icha in the presence of children, most likely to somewhere he can read Icha Icha without having to keep Naruto from trying to steal it every five minutes. Sakura's blond teammate suffered from his time spent among his various teachers: Ebisu (closet pervert), Kakashi (guy who reads Icha Icha nearly constantly), and Jiraiya (the guy who wrote the perverted books in the first place and Naruto referred to as Ero Sennin, despite Jiraiya protesting the title many times). With a sigh at Naruto's at first glance badly selected teachers (actually they were probably some of the best men for the job), Sakura headed off in the direction of the Hokage Mansion, wondering what Tsunade wanted her for.

By the time she got to the door of Tsunade's office, Sakura was completely out of breath, and bursting with the impatient desire to know what was so urgent.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto ran towards her, skidding to a halt directly in front of the door. Despite him abandoning his childhood crush on her and finally realizing what the rest of the village had known for years, that Hinata was hopelessly in love with him, he still always referred to her as Sakura-chan. It was just a part of what made Naruto, Naruto.

"Do you know what Tsunade-baa-chan called us here for, Sakura-chan?" he asked her. Sakura shook her head, prompting Naruto to begin a monologue of reasons that would be deemed urgent. First and foremost was that they were discontinuing the manufacturing of ramen, followed rapidly by a fear that Ichiraku was going out of business. **(A/N: If you look at the part two series closely, I don't think that Naruto has actually mentioned becoming the Sixth Hokage once the entire series. That's why I don't have him mention that. I just mentioned that so no one calls me an idiot for forgetting that.)** Sakura sighed in exasperation at Naruto's one track mind, and opened the door to the Hokage's office.

"You summoned us, Tsunade-shishou…" Sakura's voice trailed off as she saw what was next to Tsunade's desk. Or, more specifically, who was next to Tsunade's desk. Uchiha Sasuke, bandaged thoroughly and obviously in slight pain, but whole, and alive, and in Konohagakure Village. Sakura stopped dead in her tracks, causing Naruto to be trapped behind her and unable to see.

"Sakura-chan, let me in!" he cried. Numbly she stepped aside, revealing Sasuke to Naruto. The normally hyperactive blond was at loss for words.

"Sasuke…" his voice trailed off just as hers had. The shock and joy of seeing their teammate was too great for words. However, Naruto being Naruto, he managed to overcome his initial surprise very quickly, and in less than a minute was bouncing like he had springs glued to his feet, shouting all the while.

"Sasuke-teme! You came back!" Sasuke smirked. Sakura noticed the wince of pain he gave at the movement of his muscles to form his signature facial expression.

"I see that you haven't changed at all, Dobe." Naruto grinned back. In a way that Sakura could never fully understand, their bond was emphasized by Naruto calling Sasuke a bastard and Sasuke insulting him in turn. They were closer than brothers (especially the Uchiha brothers), and shared a level of understanding that she was frankly envious of. Even before Sasuke had left, Naruto had been close to him in a way that she never had.

For a few minutes, the reunited brothers stood smiling at each other. **(A/N: Yes, Sasuke was smiling.)** Sakura looked on, a smile on her own face. Even though Sasuke had not yet acknowledged her presence, she was comforted by his mere presence. For now, she was content for the three of them to just stand here, wordlessly communicating their shared love of each other.

After a few minutes, Sasuke turned to face her.

"Sakura," he said shortly. Only a trace of his usual coldness found its way into the single word, a sign more than anything that Sasuke had changed. She turned to face him, tears of joy welling up in her eyes. He smirked at this, and nodded permission. In three strides, Sakura had crossed the distance separating them, and threw her arms about Sasuke's shoulders in a loving embrace.

"Sasuke-kun," she sobbed happily. He gently stroked her hair and let her cry herself out in his arms. Without her saying anything, he knew that she had found the letter, and she knew that he knew. The restraints that had kept them apart during their time together as Genin dissolved, and Sakura could only sob at her utter happiness. Tsunade pointedly glanced at Naruto, who, displaying an awareness of feelings usually beyond him, accompanied her out of the office.

After a few minutes of joyous crying, Sakura pulled back slightly so that she could look up into Sasuke's eyes. A love that had been so plainly absent during their Genin days had filled them, giving Sakura a warm feeling in her heart. She smiled up at him, her eyes still shining with tears. Gently Sasuke stroked her cheek, before moving in to kiss her lips. Sakura gasped, her eyes wide with shock, before returning the kiss, an expression of sheer bliss on her face.

After a few minutes Sasuke pulled back for air, the expression of love still plain in his eyes.

"Sakura." Absolutely no trace of coldness made its way into his pronunciation of her name this time; his usually harsh voice now held only love.

"Sasuke-kun, does this mean… your brother…?"

"I have killed him." She smiled with relief at his response. Until that moment she had not been aware how afraid she was, that this would all be shattered the next day as Sasuke returned to his quest to kill Itachi. But there was still one fear she had to address.

"Sasuke-kun, you are going to stay here, right?" She knew from the letter that, given the choice, Sasuke would definitely stay here, but she could not be sure that he had been given a choice. He had, after all, betrayed the village. He, though, only smirked at her question, amusement at her concern plain on his face.

"Yes, Sakura, I'm going to stay here. Tsunade arranged it before she sent for you and Naruto. She said that since I eliminated two threats to the village, Itachi and Orochimaru, I would be allowed to come home unchallenged by the Council of Elders." Sakura sighed with relief, burying her face in Sasuke's shirt and inhaling the scent of him. He was home. He was home and he was going to stay here.

_Thank you, Kami-sama,_ Sakura thought as Sasuke swept her into another passionate kiss.

-Owari-

**A/N: Well, there was my first attempt at a SasukeXSakura story where they get a happy ending. Please tell me what you thought of it.**


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